Legal and Ethical Issues

The following are five issues that school librarians need to consider:

• Copyright rules can be tricky for teachers and students alike. As libriarians, we need to educate both groups about the appropriate use of materials for lesson plans and student projects.
• Creative Comons is a nonprofit organization that makes legaly sharing work easier. You can access it here. Creative Commons
• When using pictures, sounds, video or any other media, be sure to check the copyright.
• When students are going to create projects, have them check on the legality of filming or shooting pictures in locations. They can carry release forms with them.
• Ask permission for students or teachers to photograph or film.
• Creative Commons can be used through Firefox in a self contained search making it very easy to search only materials that are approved for use!
• Often times, teachers and students can use materials for teaching and learning. Copyright laws are mostly intended for commercial distributors or to prevent the loss of revenue.
• There are many online resources that you can find that provide free media for you to use. Check individual licensing before publishing any material.

• Social Networking and Educational Networking are different. Teachers should be cautious about using social networking to interact with students as it could have serious consequences.
• Some things to remember about social networking:
  • everything is public and many things are archived so they can be retrieved even if deleted.
  • you can be fired for criticizing your employer online.
  • students can be protected by the first amendment for making inappropriate comments about their teachers.
  • social networking can be a great thing if people use it properly!
• Libraries should have a Social Media Policy in place with clear guidelines.
  • disclaimers should be included
  • respect copyright
  • use good judgement
• Schools should teach students how to use social media rather than ban it.

• Many districts block You Tube because students may be able to access inappropriate material. The problem is that access is often times blocked from teachers as well. This leaves teachers trying to find ways to make the educational material on You Tube available to students.
• There are a wide variety of ways to get You Tube access even if your district has blocked it. This action is considered controversial to some because of the message that it may send to students.
• You Tube has some very valid uses in the classroom, but there are also a good number of alternative video sites out there that house similar videos like Teacher Tube.

• A policy is a rule. In this case the rules apply to technology and media useage. A Procedure is the way those policies are administered.
• Each school district should have a standard Acceptable Use Policy that explains the guidelines for use of district technology. The AUP, according to the National Education Association, should include: a definition, descriptions of the acceptable uses and unacceptable uses and the consequences of any violations against the policy.
• When using district technology, teachers and students should not expect any privacy, that the district will monitor usage and that they should use the technology for educational purposes and obey all copyright laws.
• Many districts have an AUP document that parents and students sign to agree to the policy.

• Nancy Willard asserts that educators need to educate students about the internet rather than creating fear of it. She proposes that all districts need to create educational programs to help transition our schools into an age of modern technology.
• The Children's Internet Protection Act requires that organizations receiveing government funding must use filters to prevent inappropriate access to material on-line. Many librarian's argue that this interferes with their ability to provide access to all patrons.
• There are many resources on-line that educators can use to help students learn about internets safety and responsibility. Learn more about the Net Cetera Campaign
• The federal government has a wide variety of resources like iSafe and Cyberethics for Kids.
• MO.gov has a long list of links for kids, parents and educators about internet safety.
• Educators need to be aware of the many dangers of the online world while at the same time teaching students the value of it. We know that cyberbullying, cheating, online preditors, and inappropriate material are all things students can engage in while on-line. However, we should keep in mind the increased productivity, endless amounst of knowledge and potential exist there as well.